What is meant by it?

Wise crowds are an organizational structure that can help a group of people in engaging together to solve a problem and help each other. The participants will be either called ‘clients’ or ‘consultants.’ Clients are those people who will be sharing their challenges with the consultant and asking them for help. The consultant will be focusing on the story and give recommendations in return.

How is it done?

Wise crowds can be carried out by asking the participants to become clients and consultants. The clients will be sharing their challenges to their consultants and asking for help to learn how to solve those challenges. Consultants should be focusing on their client’s story and keep asking questions to help the client share their experience in a better way. Consultants will also have to give advice and recommendations to their clients.

What is its purpose?

Wise crowds are an agile way of generating good results that can help people in succeeding their challenges. They will be able to improve their skills when it comes to asking, giving and receiving help. They will also learn how to liberate their creativity and intelligence. Mutual trust will be built between the clients and consultants.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure that you not only invite experts but also invite the general public. Participants should critique themselves and not jump to action before they have clarified their problems. Participants should stay focused on their client’s experience, and the clients should not be hesitant to answer any question.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Wise crowds are a liberating structure that can be used in the following circumstances:

• For research groups to leach from each other.
• For sharing progress in group projects.
• It can be used instead of reviews and presentations.
• For solving different problems.
• For improving your relationship by getting advice from someone.
• The salesperson can use it for keeping new customers.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Panarchy is an organizational structure that can help a large group of participants in identifying the opportunities and obstacles that they can face while spreading different ideas and innovations at several levels. So, panarchy can help you in spreading those ideas at different levels easily and grow to succeed in your challenge.

How is it done?

Panarchy can be carried out by inviting participants for observing and identifying the elements which are contributing to the presence of a challenge at different levels. The instructor will also have to ask them to come up with different strategies and opportunities that can help them in solving problems at different levels. It should be conducted in a room with a flat wall and open space. A new panarchy handout, post-it notes, flip-chart pages, and a large wall poster should be available. The participants will be indulging in panarchy individually, in pairs and groups to present their lists of obstacles and opportunities and to prioritize the things which will help them in succeeding.

What is its purpose?

Panarchy is an agile way of creating a mixture of different strategies at several levels to move forward in a challenge. It will give people from different levels an opportunity to work together and move forward as a group. It will help you in seeing the whole picture together.

What are its Tips and Traps?

You will have to use the 1-2-4-all liberating structure for most of the steps included in panarchy. Try to add the perspective of people from different fields for researching dynamic at both small and large scale. You should not neglect the role of history in each level.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Panarchy can be used in the following circumstances:

• For offering advanced educational opportunities to students.
• For spreading innovations on a bigger scale.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Integrated autonomy is organizational structures that can help people resolve their conflicts to form strategies and find the solutions to different kinds of challenges. You will be able to develop strategic thinking and mutual understanding which will help you in finding the solution to your problem easily. By addressing these questions, you will have a profound understanding of the situation.

How is it done?

Integrated autonomy is a liberating structure which requires papers, chairs and integrated autonomy worksheets to be carried out. The instructor will first discuss what integrated autonomy is all about with the help of examples. A list of activities will be created using the 1-2-4-all technique. Participants will work in group of four and select one task from the list. They will then be asked questions such as “What is the standardizing rational? Which actions can boost standardization and customization? Which creative ideas will you adapt to perform the action?”

What is its purpose?

Integrated autonomy is an agile way of developing innovative strategies so that you can move forward with your policies, structures or projects. You will also be able to launch strategies with its help. You will develop a mutual understanding with your group members and start thinking strategically. Both of these things are vital for solving a challenge.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to have a productive starting question and try to have fun. You will also need to have additional rounds to get the task done correctly. The groups will have to do many experiments.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Integrated autonomy can be used in the following circumstances:

• For creating policies.
• For developing contents of new contracts for small hospitals.
• For deciding which things should be legislated at the federal level.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Agreement and certainty matrix is a liberating structure that can help people to get rid of the mistakes they make in solving challenges with methods that are not even required for solving that particular challenge. Therefore, with the help of this organizational problem, people will be able to avoid these mistakes and solve the challenge quickly.

How is it done?

It is a liberating structure that can be carried out by inviting participants to distribute their current challenges into different categories including simple, complicated and complex. Chairs, post-it notes, markers and a page with a matrix will be provided to each participant. There should be an open wall with a matrix taped to it. The participants will individually have to place their challenges into the matrix and then discuss in pairs. They will then converse in a group and come up with a few points of differences and agreements and then post their challenges on the long wall. All the participants shall step back and observe the patterns and decide their next steps.

What is its purpose?

Agreement and certainty matrix is an agile way of reducing the amount of wasted effort you do in challenges and identifying where specific local experiments can help you in solving complex problems. It will also help in reducing your frustration when you are unable to complete a task.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to clear it to the group members what kind of activities and challenges will be included. Don’t make judgments about people and start working individually, then in pairs and finally have a table conversation.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Agreement and certainty matrix can be used in the following circumstances:

• To help a group move towards the active phase.
• To organize project management.
• To select different methodologies at the beginning of a new project.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

User experience fishbowl is an organizational structure that can help a larger circle understand the challenges faced by the smaller circle and then ask them if they have any questions. This will help them in coming up with solutions for their challenges quickly.

How is it done?

User experience fishbowl can be carried out by inviting people to listen, observe and ask questions from the fishbowl which is also known as the inner circle. There should be chairs, microphones and bar stools. The instructor will have to explain the steps and then ask the inner circle to start their conversation. The outer circle will listen and observe them while they are talking to each other. Then, they shall come up with questions that will be submitted to the inner circle. Interaction will be held between both the circles where the questions will be answered.

What is its purpose?

User experience fishbowl is an agile way of answering questions by everyone so that they can understand your experience in a better way and generate ideas of their own to solve their challenges. It can improve your storytelling, listening, observing, pattern-finding and questioning skills.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to select people with direct personal experience for the inner circle. Encourage the participants to discuss both their failures and successes and instead of giving speeches; they should chat with each other. You should collect all the questions before the conversation is restarted. The ‘fish’ should be given a choice to select the questions to which he will answer.

Examples – Where can it be used?

User experience fishbowl can be used in the following circumstances:

• When transferring information from one officer to another.
• During different liberating structures workshop.
• In meetings carried out by specialists to discuss a challenging situation.
• By executive management teams to carry out projects.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Eco cycle planning can help you in eradicating common mistakes by sifting through your group’s activities; therefore in this way, you will get to know which activities are essential to achieving success in a goal.

How is it done?

Eco cycle planning is a liberating structure that can be carried out by inviting a group to view, organize and prioritize their activities with the help of four stages that are birth, maturity, creative destruction, and renewal. A room with an open wall and open space will be required. Chairs, post-it notes, and an eco-cycle map worksheet will be given to each participant.  In the first five minutes, the instructor will explain what the eco cycle is and distribute the blank maps to each participant, and then he will ask them to create their activity lists. Each pair will decide where to place each activity on the map, and then they will form a group and finalize those placements. Every group will list down their activities on the post-it notes and then paste them on the larger map on the open wall. Then, ask all the groups and focus on the pattern of their placements and how to carry out each activity.

What is its purpose?

Eco cycle planning is an agile way of balancing a strategies portfolio and setting your priorities. It can help you in hearing everyone’s perspective about a particular thing which can help you in seeing the picture with more clarity.

What are its Tips and Traps?

All the segments of eco cycle planning are beneficial and must be given importance to. You should be clear about the kinds of activities that are being considered. Views from both inside and outside of an organization must be included. Activities should be checked so that everyone is on the same domain. If a second round is required, then go for it.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Eco cycle planning can be used in the following circumstances:

• To review a service portfolio.
• When executives have to transform their approach to education.
• To plan changes in any person’s life.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by liberating structures?

Liberating structures are a group of 33 different structures which can be used for enhancing the way you hold a conversation with someone, and it can also facilitate, the way you conduct a meeting. It is an agile way to get project management tasks done.

Why should you use liberating structures?

Wondering what can liberating structures actually do? When using liberating structures, you will be able to engage everyone regardless of the fact how big the group or audience is. In this way, by involving everyone, you will produce better ideas and get the work done faster. People will not be hesitant to put forward their ideas. Therefore solutions would be found easily. As they are very easy to learn, they can be used in improving the relational coordination and trust among people. It can be used in meetings, discussions, brainstorming sessions, and building status reports. It can also be useful in making sure that everyone is doing equal amount of work and no one is being left behind without any tasks being assigned to them.

When not to use it?

As mentioned earlier, liberating structures can be used in meetings, open discussions, when you have to brainstorm to come up with the solution of a complex problem, so when you don’t require doing any of these tasks, then you should not use liberating structures.

What are the disadvantages of liberating structures?

There are not many disadvantages of liberating structures except the fact that it can be very time consuming and if you are not someone who has patience, then you may not do well during it. If you are a busy person, then liberating structures are not for you as they require several rounds to get the job done. Also, sometimes people don’t respect the privacy of other people and leak confidential stories so trusting other people with your story can be a bit risky.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Purpose to practice is an organizational structure that can help stakeholders in starting an initiative as it will help them to shape their plan and put it into action by focusing on the most important five elements that are purpose, practice, participants, structure, and principles.

How is it done?

Purpose to practice can be carried out by inviting stakeholders to participate in designing a new initiative which is based on five things that are purpose, participants, structure, principles, and practices. Chairs and tables will be provided to groups of 4 participants. Five worksheets will be provided to each participant. There should be a poster paper for recording the purpose of practicing. The instructor will first answer all the queries of the participants and hand them their worksheets. In the first 10 minutes, using the 1-2-4 technique, the participants will answer why is this work important to them. In the same way, they will also have to explain what rules they must follow to succeed, who can participate in the action, and how should they organize themselves. When all of these questions have been answered by the participants, then they will step back and look closely at their draft and decide how they will carry out their tasks to accomplish their initiative.

What is its purpose?

Purpose to practice can help you in focusing on everyone’s imagination and ideas of getting specific work done. It will help you in avoiding any fragmented process and actually to get the job done.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to reflect your purpose positively so that people can understand it and help you in getting successful. Small groups can be used for doing a lot of work done. If more than one round is required, then do more rounds. You can rely on the intuitions of the participants.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Purpose to practice is an agile way to understand different things, and it can be used in the following circumstances:

• For guiding the launch of LS user groups.
• When the Latin American region of any corporation has to launch a new business strategy.
• For creating a consortium of researches.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

W³ is a liberating structure that can help individuals in understanding a situation in a better way by hearing other people talk about their related experiences. They will put forward their insights and then come up with a mutual decision.

How is it done?

W³ can be carried out by first sharing an experience with someone. The other person will ask questions such as ‘What happened?’, ‘So, what?’ And ‘Now what.’ It will help in understanding the situation in a better way. An unlimited number of groups can participate, and chairs will be given to everyone. A paper and a flipchart will be given to each participant as they will have equal opportunity to participate. The instructor will have to describe how this liberating structure will take place and then one person will share an experience with the other participants. There will be three stages, and in each stage, the listeners will note down the facts, observations, and patterns and then they will share their insights with each other.

What is its purpose?

W³ will help you in understanding other things from other people’s perspectives. It will make you in being able to generate ideas from shared experiences, and you will have to try avoiding arguments. Gather all the data and observations before getting into the discussion. It will also help you in understanding complex problems.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to keep practicing and answer each question to clear the ambiguities of other members of the meetings. Try to share examples with the individuals to make them understand what you are trying to explain. Appreciate whatever feedback you get from the rest of the members.

Examples – Where can it be used?

W³ is an agile way of understanding things, and it can be used in the following circumstances:

• To understand the meaning behind different events.
• To discuss a topic and solve complex problems.
• During meetings where people have strong opinions.
• For groups who can’t relate with people of different backgrounds.
• In the end of the meetings.
• For providing feedbacks.

— Slimane Zouggari

What is meant by it?

Critical uncertainties are an organizational structure that can help different groups by asking them to explore an open market and observe the critical situations which are uncertain. Then, they will list down the most critical situations and brainstorm various strategies with the help of which they can solve that complex problem. It will help them in seeing things better.

How is it done?

Critical uncertainties can be carried out by inviting participants to observe the most vital and unusual realities in an open market and to come up with strategies to succeed in those different scenarios. Ask the participants to list down the critical factors and select the two most critical elements from the list. Then, they will have to create a grid. Each group shall write a thumbnail scenario and share it with the other groups. They will also have to share their strategies. It will require four groups. Every participant will be participating equally and will be given equal opportunity to put forward their ideas to help form strategies to solve a complicated situation. Chairs, tables, papers, post-it notes, and flip charts will be provided to each group.

What is its purpose?

Critical uncertainties are an agile way to test specific strategies and to improve everyone’s capacity to get the work done quickly.

What are its Tips and Traps?

Make sure to remember the predictions that went wrong and use the 1-2-4-all liberating structure in each step. Try to have fun and use post-it notes to write down your ideas.

Examples – Where can it be used?

Critical uncertainties can be used in the following circumstances:

• To explore the features of a product or service.
• To generate steps in an initiative.
• To create a strategic vision.
• For counseling the youth.

 — Slimane Zouggari